DMC: In Memory's Embrace
by RokujoIn
Summary: DANTE AND VERGIL SCREW THE SAME WOMAN. There, I said it (MWAHAHAHAHA). If you wanna know how, give this wacko NTR a try. Don't take it too seriously, though, just made it up for the hotz 'n' the lewlz. Starring !: Dante and Vergil de DMC, Ukifune de Genji Monogatari "Ten Uji Scrolls". Also time travel subplot. Rated T for now, but may change to M depending on later chapters.
1. Cutscene 1: Where's My Past Self…?

_City of Crete, three years before DmC3._

"Where the hell is my past self?"

Winding deep within the heart of the dark alleys of the night-neon, bustling metropolis Crete, a woman peeks past a wall, scrawled with fading graffiti, into its seemingly endless tunnels—spiralling like pig intestines.

There was nothing notable about the woman at all. Not beautiful or sexy and the rather plump figure moved with a slightly sluggish swagger. Perhaps a little bit of an eccentric aura as her neck stuttered back and forth like a turtle as she scanned the alleys with her sheepish gaze, but that was all that drew the passerby's attention ere they turned it back to the road.

"Aw, c'mon! Pull yourself together, Tamakazura! It's day one and you're already wound up like this…"

 _Somewhere on the other side of the city…_

A lump, laying on the road, which appeared to be a dead body at first glance, was moving—gathering its fleshy self together and, with some difficulty, got up on two legs as she trembled. She breathed heavily, the bangs she clipped behind an ear falling lightly over her eyebrows again.

"Ah…ah…must…draw myself together… _HURRF_!"

She almost threw up in a second, but luckily didn't actually hurl it out. This street was somewhat distanced from the dark alleys, but not too far. The people walking past her also threw her strange looks.

"Ah…ah…thank God…" She looked around. "Dammit, where's my future self?"

"Tamakazura! Tamakazura!"

"Huh?!"

The plump woman suddenly spun around, her glasses flashing under the streetlights, at the call of her name. "Who is it? Is it Tamakazura? It's me, Tamakazura!"

Without hesitation she followed the sound, diving into the intestines of dark alleys.

"Hey! Tamakazura! What the hell is this place? How…how did we come here all of a sudden? Did we fail it?!"

She felt a chilling presence, like the air froze around her, but whipped by quickly. "Tamakazura! Is that you?"

And she heard the footsteps, tapping on the metallic foundations of the city. Cold, but quiet, with a measured ambience.

"H-huh?!"

A shadow gradually appeared from behind the artificial city smoke. It was a man, clad in robes of catalina blue woven with golden seams. His silvery hair was stroked back in spikes of elegance, and his face was calm and beautiful. It seemed as cold as his steps; but his eyes were even more devoid of emotion. Every movement of his was subdued, as if there was a suffocating but freeing aura about him, all at once.

The woman stopped, and stared at the handsome creature, astonished. The man's eyes flickered and looked at her. He stopped.

"E-eh? Wh-why…er…"

Blushing, Tamakazura fought to retain her feminine instincts as she stood on the spot grinning like an idiot.

Suddenly she heard the unsheathing of a blade, and the figure, lighter than feathers and more terrible than nightmares, drew down a slash of blue before her eyes, his eyes still devoid of any human lustre.

"K-KYYYYYYAAAAAAAAA!"

Tamakazura could already feel the coolness of her limbs being dispatched from her body, and the impending pain was temporarily overtaken by the world's worst coldness. Yet she heard another shriek that was not hers, and gaining strength after the moment had passed, raised her face from her cowardly arms—just in time to see something black and inky explode, dissipating into the air. Still barely aware that she was alive, not even daring to breathe, she turned back slowly to see a sword sheathed on the man's back.

The man exhaled deeply.

"U-uh, th-th-th-thanks," she stuttered.

The man made no sign that he heard her, and walked away.

Tamakazura blushed even more deeply.

"Uggghhh…y'know, I think that's my type of—"

"What the hell are you doing here, idiot?!"

The other woman ran up to her clumsily, stepping into deep puddles and her arms moved like she was wading.

"You fool! I thought I told you not to move!"

"Ah, but, Tamakazura…"

"It's very dangerous here. I think something went wrong with my contraption. I crashed into something and landed…this…who even knows where we are now?! And don't stand around blinking like an idiot! Why do you look as if you just found the mushroom kingdom?!"

"Tama…kazura-san…the reason is…I just fell in love."

"You what?! We just crash landed in the middle of space zone nowhere and you're thinking of erotica?! That's it, that's it, I always thought you were stupid, but now I know you're not just stupid, you're _stunted_. You foolish woman!"

"Ah! Ah! Tamakazura! How can you say that! I am your past self! If you think I'm stupid—"

"—but you are my past self from a parallel universe! I'm not surprised we're polar opposites…enough as it is…where you lack in brains, I have in excess. No wonder I'm so highly regarded for my intelligence where I come from."

"Oh, Tamakazura…you break my poor little heart."

The woman scoffed, and spun around. "First, I will need to reassemble the device. Then, once we have the ticket outta here, we will go look for my parents again—and in time, stop them from ever leaving each other. Once our plan comes to fruition, we will return to our time—or, at least, the place we call home—the imperial court of Heian. The things I need are…"

The other woman crept up to the first in a cowardly but not uncute way. "B-but Tamakazura, what can I do…?"

"You can stay in a hotel and lock the door from inside until I reassemble the device!"

"…Yes, my future self."

Satisfied, Tamakazura the first withdrew her gun barrel from her past self's forehead, and spun it back into the sheathe. Tamakazura the second, with an even more sheepish gaze than the first, stared at her future self's silhouette in the frozen, dusky moon of this city.

"Oh…oh…my future self is so intelligent~ If only I had but a tenth of her intelligence, then—" Unable to contain herself any longer, Tamakazura the second slurped as she inhaled and began to lick her fingers, stroking from the palm to the delicious tip of each. She also followed the first like a dog, disappearing in the city fog.


	2. Cutscene 2: La Maiden

_Japan, Heian period, in the province of Hitachi…_

"Th-thank you so much, master…!"

The governor of Hitachi bowed over and over again to the koto teacher of his daughters, shedding great drops of tears. Just as he does this, his wife cuckolds him on the head.

"OW! Wh-what was that for?"

"You old fool! Rather than always thinking of YOUR daughters ONLY, why don't you treat your stepdaughter in the same way?!"

"Who? Ukifune? Well, the truth is, my dear, all the young men within Tokaido ( _Country of the East_ ) wishes to marry my daughters. Nobody cares about that girl. I know you were deeply in love with her father, but my dear, it doesn't mean you have to put _our_ daughters beneath her."

"I thought you would treat her nicer than this. Her father was once of high position."

"THANK YOU, MASTER," boomed the Hitachi governor even louder than usual, and brashly waved his hands like he was directing naval combat: "Bring in the gifts, bring in the thank you gifts!"

The koto teacher along with his female students were soon buried in presents; and Chujo-no-gimi, the governor's wife, had no choice but to exit the room, sighing. "Who can understand my pain?"

She had no choice but to visit Naka-no-gimi, a relative she gained purely by chance. Naka-no-gimi was the legitimate daughter of Ukifune's father, and it pained Chujo-no-gimi to know her daughter Ukifune was merely subpar due to the latter's illegitimate status. Naka-no-gimi is now wedded and settled with Nio-no-miya, a royal prince, and her status is ever elevated, but she has shown beyond kindness to the poor mother.

"Now, listen, if my daughter was a plain lady with nothing else to recommend her, I'd treat her just as the rest of the governor's children," Chujo-no-gimi complained as usual to Naka-no-gimi's maidservants over a game of go. "It's not that he's a bad man, the governor. Ukifune's father abandoned me when he found out I had a child, but the governor, though brash, had long lasting affections, which secured my life. But I am always so bitter that I was forced into a marriage beneath me; and if Ukifune was to befall the same fate, I'd be writhing in agony. Ah—! This hand…hand…indeed…where was I? But she grows more and more beautiful each day, and outshines all my other children. Yet her stepfather pays her little attention—as did her real father. She is twenty years old, past the age of prime and still not wedded, because she does not have a powerful father, and so no one knows of her existence. If she were to marry anyone of ordinary means within the brash Tokaido, I would die in grief for beauty and youth so wasted. Alas, there is no one to listen to me; no one understands my pains. It is my intention to marry her well, but the governor nor her brothers pay any attention to her, and her future is as bleak as an un-oar'd boat floating out into a vast river."

"If she is as beautiful as you say and outshines all the others, surely she will not become buried; some young man will take notice of her and make her his bride, like all fortunate woman. In fact, I think that's what my mistress implies to do for her. Looks like I have you cornered."

"Oh—! The lady of Prince Niou…?"

"Indeed. You know Niou's friend, Kaoru…"

"Well, I don't believe he'll truly love Ukifune, someone as high and noble as that. But I suppose this is Ukifune's chance. Oh, and by the way…"

"Mmmhmm?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that that woman, the deputy secretary, is doing weird things behind our backs?"

"You mean Tamakazura? Certainly…she's not one of us, for sure…but don't let her hear that, or you'll regret it!"

After the gossip, they counted the pieces and Chujo-no-gimi has won. Chujo-no-gimi thought over Kaoru's offer to take Ukifune as his lover. "Sure, he's married with the second princess of the current emperor; but he is also the most desired man in Japan. Handsome, elegant, faithful and beloved by all of the imperial court, even if she'll never match up to the princess, I'd still pit Ukifune in even as his handmaiden. Naha, no, I can't bear to have my lovely daughter become someone else's servant…yes, Ukifune.

"Well, what do you think?"

Chujo-no-gimi was back at home, and sitting in the same room as her eldest, quiet daughter.

Ukifune had her face turned away from her mother, but in the aura of dawn, she appeared a graceful beauty. Her hair, thick and long, was laid on the carpet, smelling of the sweetest fragrance. One hand could be seen from her silk sleeve, and it was white as ivory and soft and docile, a true lady's hand. The girl covered her face with the other sleeve, and her elegance could not be described with words. She has not yet fully become a woman; still shy and unsteady, she tried her best to conduct herself as a capable adult, which in her mother's eyes, made her all the more lovable.

"I just can't leave you to your fate, Ukifune! Your stepfather…well, I can't ask him to give you more than what you have now. But to think you are to coop up in here, while your youth blooms and passes without fruition…that thought…"

Laughter and cheeriness were heard distantly a few rooms away. It made Ukifune's room seem all the more empty. Ukifune was too shy to respond, and her mother's love for her increased.

"No! I just can't. I just can't let that happen. I've made up my mind!" Chujo-no-gimi stood up suddenly. "I'm going to take you to Uji, to see Lord Kaoru. I've got to make sure my daughter's happy, whatever people say! Right, Ukifune? You do want to see the most eligible man in the court of the emperor, don't you?"

 _Do I even deserve happiness?_ The beautiful Ukifune thought, at that moment. Sorrow pierced her heart like the autumn wind. _I am wretched upon this earth. I have no family nor friend, except my mother. All I ever want…is to become a nun and live in solitude for the rest of my life_.

But she found herself unable to voice her thoughts, and remained silent.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'll do! Better to tempt happiness than to give it up altogether. Come on, Ukifune—cheer up! Let me help you pack your things and we're going to hit Kyoto!"

Ukifune helplessly watched her mother exit the room, but was somewhat happy to see her mother so spirited. _If it'll make my mother happy to be with Lord Kaoru, I don't mind._ She thought, and her lips curved a little, which has not been for a long time.

"Oh, Chujo-no-gimi, you can't be serious! How can you leave an old man like me to fend for myself, just for Ukifune?!"

"Shut up, you old fool. You've never paid attention to her anyways and I'm going to amend it all—in one move! I'm taking her to Kyoto. See you later!"

So Ukifune went on the carriage with her mother. The sound of spring, of the birds and the rustling of newly sprouted leaves, leaked through the carriage opening. And Ukifune imagined what spring and freedom would be like. Her frail heart palpated at the thought of meeting a man; but her mother believed it would make her happy, so she accepted it. The day was shining with new life; there was nothing foreboding about the whole affair at all.

BANG

"OH!"

The carriage felt like it has thrown itself backwards. All the women in it jolted and tumbled over each other. There was screaming. Ukifune nearly fainted, but in her struggling consciousness, she seemed to sense that the world whirled around her. In desperation she tried to scream out in her muffled throat, just as they hit the ground—once, then twice—and everyone fell over.

"Mother…!"

Dazed, Ukifune reached out her hand in the mess of jumbled sleeves and women's hair, but her hand was knocked back again. There seemed to be a vague sound of glass shattering and the pieces being sucked into some vacuum in the background as Ukifune's organs gave a huge lurch. And as the blackness of her vision passed, all that she could see was drowned in a fury of her own tears.


	3. Cutscene 3: The Unexpected Rift

Dante was swaggering happily down the street, a pizza box containing a hot and mouthwatering pizza on his hand. The streets were clear again as usual, with no sign of intelligent or demonic life anywhere. _Finally! A night where my conscience is clear when I relax._ He thought. Innocently. Naively.

Suddenly a dark shadow lunged at him, its reptilian mouth gaped open, screaming; without even turning, the skillful demon hunter drew Ivory and shot the bullet down its throat. An ugly wheal and a squirt of what is demon blood spluttered across the dim pavement just as Dante plugged his gun back in his belt. He started humming.

One of the streetlights flickered. An almost undetectable sadistic hiss scattered in the wind. A demonic essence moved, formless and soundless, through the cracks in the bricked textile, stalking in Dante's footsteps. Dante moved on, seemingly not noticing.

A trace of the demonic substance then sprawled itself onto a lamppost, slithered up the pole, and opened itself; in the evening sky, it was like a giant web with a sinister demonic face on it, grinning at Dante's back, covering the moonlight. It then made another vile hiss, and shrunk into the lightbulb. Its light but flickered once, then altogether went out, leaving a part of the street in shadows.

Dante halted his movements, and within a minute, turned. The lightbulb went back on.

"Oh," he said, and turned back.

The shadow screamed and smothered him fully, its hideous essence oozing out more and more shadow till Dante's body was nothing but a shell of ink. When it has wrapped itself tightly around Dante, suffocatingly, it began making sounds as if it was munching him down. The light flickered.

"HYAH!"

As versatile as a fish fillet the hungry shadow was split open by a blinding white flash of _Rebellion._ It did not even have time to cry out in agony, feeling the power of the legendary blade gutting through its very flesh, before they dissipated and scattered, and its pieces moulded themselves into five distinct demonic shapes. The malicious apparitions circled Dante as he held his sword in his right hand and, on his left hand, the pizza box.

"I see…five against one. Fair enough," he said. One of the demon heads swung at him; Dante threw up the pizza box towards the moon before spinning back, hitting another apparition with his elbow. The rest of the three opened their watery mouths and swung forward more aggressively. Dante slid his sword on the ground, sparks of fire dancing at his feet, and Rebellion transformed into a silver whirl as Dante swung it in his hands while spinning his body, slicing through more demon essence as he went around. "WOOHOO!" He cracked a smile as the other two demon heads joined the fray of demon slicing.

Faster than the cacophony of a whirlwind other demonic essences crept up past the roofs of high buildings and also began to target Dante. Dante threw the five demon heads aside; the sky was now buzzing with demons, and their glowing red eyes, all focused intensely on him. "Let's jam it up a little more then…shall we?"

Dante jumped up and with a booster on one of the demons, as if time has slowed, brought down the inevitable blade of Rebellion through its body. It screamed and electrics of blood flew everywhere as its master dissipated, having served its purpose, into a thousand tiny particles. He then drew out his twin guns midair and began shooting; bullets after bullets cut through the chains of demons; every single lightbulb on the street shattered in the pattern of a giant ripple with Dante en centre as glass and shells bounced on the ground amidst the magnificent screams of the demons.

Dante then landed on top of the lamppost. Turning up the heat more than ever, bullets rained upon the assailants one by one; then he caught onto the lamppost by his legs; hanging upside down Ebony and Ivory hit even the cowardly demons coming up below. The dark essence, which somehow reformed itself after turning into five separate entities, now slithered back up the lamppost again. It absorbed all the demons on its way up as Dante flipped back upright on two legs, swelling in size by the second, and just as it opened its demonically grinning mouth to swallow Dante once more—

Dante grinned back, and pointed up: "My pizza's coming down."

The idiotic demon was confused, and looked up to see the distinct shape of a box before it wheezed with Rebellion slicing through it a second time; it breathed in with difficulty, and still skewering it, Dante pushed it into the skies: "See how you like this!" What happened next can only be said as the most awesome display of sword hacking as the demon felt its hollow insides writhe a thousand times per second with deep cuts of pain, blinded by the familiar white flashes of light, before Dante with a tactful cry split it into the pavement with his sword. It gave a final shriek, and, at last, was absorbed into nothingness.

Dante stood up slowly, dusting himself off, and cracking a bone or two, wiped his forehead: "Whew!" and then caught the pizza box with his quick hand just in time. "Oh, yeah, it's still hot! Nice!"

He opened the pizza box to dig out a slice of pizza; but right at that moment, the ground began to shake. Tremouring steps rung out through the earth, and before Dante could even turn back, a huge demon, raising what appears to be the remains of a street building, hurled them at the devil hunter. The smile had vanished from Dante's face; this was getting annoying.

Turning his body slightly and twisting his limbs, the first three chunks he dodged with impressive agility; as soon as they passed, he slammed his sword into the ground and, using it as a maneuver, bolstered himself before kicking the last biggest chunk of rock that was flying at him back to the demon. The demon reached out and tried to grab it in its hand, but the rock spliced through all winds and hit him in the jaws, bouncing off of it.

Dante was back on his feet again. "Seriously," he said, "how long is this gonna go on before I can eat my pizza?"

The demon raised his jagged and broken hand, now split open like an ugly blob of art, stomped its foot and roared to the heavens. The roar was met with a wave of responses, of various cackles and screams, wing-flaps and air swishes, from the newly gathered demon clusters. Another party of demons, small and large, aerial and grounded, darkly elegant, or moving in its disgusting fashion, started to gather in this otherwise common street. A very _big_ party.

"Tsk," said Dante. "And I thought this was gonna be a pizza night. Well—" leaving Rebellion standing in the ground, his hand went forth to dig again into the pizza box— "I can always have food _and_ entertainment, can't I?"

The demons moved forward.

 _SMASH_.

A carriage, crashing out of nowhere, came gliding out of the sky and swung full force towards Dante. Ever the agile one, the devil hunter hopped out of the way before it skidded headlong on the sidewalk, bouncing into the air. Dante cocked his gun for a split second before sensing, strangely, no demonic presence—the single bullet that blasted out deflected from the carriage at an angle, and the carriage shot off a few metres back.

Dante coughed, and erected himself again. "What was that for? Oh, I get it, there's another demon portal open somewhere, isn't it? _Typical._ "

He shook off a slew of demon blood that stuck onto his hand, and pulling the sword out of the ground again, held it with both hands in front of him.


	4. Cutscene 4: Trigger of the Devil

A horde of wicked laughter rung throughout the demons, and their bodies would've been spasming in a farcical matter had their faces not appear so horrid. The first demon, with its body as large as a troll, but a face as withered and cracked like charcoal, laughed. "I smell it. Demon blood…and human blood! A hybrid! All the more to enjoy a full meal, _hahaha_!"

Dante smirked. "Wow, looks like I'm the main course," he said, turning his back on the thickening crowd for a second, putting his fingers to his forehead. "Naturally, I'm flattered to not be treated like side dish. Except…" He suddenly whipped out both his guns at once, spinning them before aiming them towards the horde: "I couldn't care less to be flattered by the likes of you!"

The demons shrieked, laughing as they lunged. Dante knocked the first wave back with an intense flood of bullet rain; then he jumped upwards, averting the head-butt brought on by a demon shrouded in black fog and its six long legs sputtering like spiders'. Yet before he could land, several more of those also jumped towards him while Dante was in mid-somersault. Smiling sadistically again, Dante enjoyed the brief moment of breeze passing through his hair before one of them began to close its claws over his body—and then, as if in slow motion, he reached out his hand, grabbed the creature's underside, and lassoed it over his head in full circles; the creature writhed its legs but was utterly helpless in the strong grasp of a son of Sparda, and its uncontrollable body knocked back the other ambushers before it was thrown out by Dante again with a yell—head-butting and piercing through what appeared to be a black cluster of demonic essence behind him. Before Dante landed again, he unleashed the hell of Ebony and Ivory once more for a quick moment ere he stepped on the head of one demon, shot him in the head, and took up Rebellion in his right hand.

"How long has it been, do you think," he said, in a more casual manner than ever, "when you had food that fought back?"

The great demon in the centre seemed enraged; it lowered its head, its eyes filled with the worst kind of hatred before it cried out to the skies; more and more demons began to gather. "Listen to this mortal! You dare make mockery of me?! I will not forgive you!"

Hundreds of demons charged towards Dante at once, and the mere sight of it would've made a normal human faint with dread. But Dante simply stayed still, never wiping the smirk off his face. Drawing out Ebony, he shot out a column of bullets so quickly they sounded like a single spasming thunderbolt, and when the column got long enough, with an exasperated cry Dante sent down Rebellion on them in one clean swipe; the bullets shot out and split the oncoming demon horde in half, forming a brief rift in their crowded formation. Dante slid right through that rift like a trickster and eluded them all in one quick flash, making it through the huge row of demons literally unscathed. He smiled at the even more enraged demons behind who dived down towards him; but these lesser demons were so easy to dodge when infuriated. Thus, cool as a cucumber, Dante turned and let one pass him, slicing it into two when it hit the ground; then he just as easily averted the other, and grabbing it as it zipped past him, he spun around before chucking it right back to the great big demon. As usual the projectile hit him in the jaws, and the sheer force of the throw sent it tumbling to the ground in heaps.

"Urrrrgh…"

It shook its head to get rid of the stars dancing in its eyes, but when his vision cleared, he saw the human hop onto its chest and casually walked towards his face with an arrogant grin.

"One main dish, Dante, comin' right up!"

The tense silence did not leave those words ringing for long. The beast roared, and helped itself up. Paying no attention to the inclining footing he was standing on, Dante did not move a muscle until the demon nearly stood up, and then he dashed up the demon's grotesque torso as he would a wall.

"Hyah!"

Dante struck the creature's head, and again and again his sword slashed through its demonic skull. Wounded but not yet defenceless, the angry demon grabbed Dante and, though he was still slashing away, swallowed him.

The other demons which had begun to charge again at the mysterious devil hunter slowed down, and gazed at the huge demon. He surely would've passed into the esophagus by now; there was no sign that the young man was still alive and ready to fight at this point. The silence was not very tense, but muffled and confusing.

The great demon let out a sigh, and all the wrinkles on his face seemed to open, like a piece of cracking earth. It took one step forward. Then another step.

Every demon relaxed.

Suddenly there was a gurgle from the demon's belly. It stopped and raised its arms involuntarily. It was shaking on its feet, and the demons could almost hear the quickening pulse of its black and demon heart. It clutched its temples, making noises in its throat, like it was about to throw up, and then vomit-green blood began spewing out from pores at every corner of its disgusting, hairy body. It wavered more and more intensely by the second before its head dislodged from its neck in a fountain of blood, the head still wearing an expression of utter pain and shock, when all the demons were blinded by the flash of Rebellion, triumphantly rising out from the demon's neck.

Dante, his face and red coat matted with a mixture of blood and stomach acid, grinned as he hopped out from its neck; and spinning Rebellion, charging it with power, he cut cleanly right through the devil's entire body.

"OOOOOHHHHHHHHH!"

The head cried out as it landed on the pavement; its body, still trying to move, stopped, and its two halves dismembered from one another, falling open, revealing a mixture of gross demon insides. Dante landed, got up, and took a few steps forward, raising Rebellion as high as his slightly panting chest.

"Anyone else grabbing some of this?"

For a few seconds, no demon seemed to move. Then, they began to scream in quivers, and propelled into the sky. Dante's eyes followed them upwards; they began filing into what could be called a 'hole', but the elusive hell gate it was invisible to most eyes. The demons almost looked as if they were simply vanishing.

Dante shrugged. "Huh."

But the street was not completely silent.

Suddenly catching the sound of some muffled chewing, Dante spun back to see a headless demon grabbing the carriage that crashed into this street a few minutes ago. There were smudges of demons all over the street, but next to that carriage there were particularly many. The demon shook the carriage, and the already lopsided vehicle was bending even more to its side.

 _Could it be a human carriage?_

Regardless, Dante walked up to the demon, who seemed unsuspecting of his presence. With a clean cut, as usual, Dante ended it with a shriek. Leaving its twitching body to disintegrate, he reached for the opening of the carriage.

He opened it.

The first thing he thought, was that this had to be a fashion cart, because fabrics of every colour and what appeared to be like wigs shot into his eyes. They seemed to be dressed on a collection of mannequins. Dante groaned and rolled his eyes, putting his arm casually on the carriage door.

"Just what the hell is that supposed to be…?"

Suddenly, one of the "fabrics" moved, and the wig raised itself to reveal a pale face under it. It was a human woman, and as she raised her head, she locked gazes with Dante whose face was not a few inches before hers; the miserable state she appears to be in did not seem to affect her good looks, yet in her pretty eyes, there was nothing but all-around fear.

Dante slammed the door in her face.

"Dammit…!"

He examined the tattered robes he was wearing, and his body, though undamaged, was covered in oozes of demon fluid. He shook his head, and his bangs, wet with green substance, were matted to his brows.

"Great job, demons. I forgot I was not fit to be seen. How am I supposed to make her believe I'm not one of those things? But…what's a human doing here in the first place?"

And, with that question, Dante then gazed up into the sky at the hell gate, rippling with demonic aura, which did not seem to close with the flee of the last of the Unnamable.


	5. Cutscene 5: The Vengeful Emperor

"Nyoouu~~ Tamakazura-san!"

"Shut up!"

There was a sound of scrap metal being thrown together, followed by the sound of hammering and whirring of electrically powered machines. Two plumpish girls were staying in the same hotel room, unlit by any lamps or lights save for the burning charcoal in the electric heater, which for some reason didn't feel like it wasn't there in the first place. One of them had goggles on, which reflected the intense heat of the flames, as she fashioned some sort of metallic tool from these charcoal blazes.

"But, Tamakazura-san…I'm bored!"

"I said shut—up—!"

There was the firing of a gunshot, and it streaked across the room, hitting the wall. Tamakazura the second looked at the smoke drifting out of the crack, and gulped.

"Alright…I'll be quiet…and nice…"

She jumped onto the soft mattress of the bed, bouncing a little, and looking bored. Tamakazura plugged something back into the metal, clicked it, and fixed the whirring machete over it.

Listening to the endless and annoying drones of machinery, Tamakazura the second soon got bored.

"Heeeeeeeey, Tamakazura-san, how 'bout I read you one of those sappy, cheesy, de-LICIOUS shoujo romances? Eh? It'll be good. It's a tale about two princes who fall in love with the same woman—"

"Aw, hell no! I had enough of those silly love triangle plotlines!" Her companion stopped her ere she could continue with a louder attempt at screwdriver-ing than usual. "If you're going to read me anything, why don't you read me something that doesn't decrease my IQ _while I'm fixing a contraption that could possibly end the finite matter that is our being_?!"

Sullen, Tamakazura the second sulked back into the warm, comfy mattress. "Aw, it's just no fun when you're stupid. Why can't I be the same as you, Tamakazura-san…? My future self?"

Just as she finished this sentence, there was a mechanical cocking sound, and something long and cold pressed against her temple.

"E-eh?!"

"Well, well, well, I must applaud for you, Tamakazura. You even came so far here…?"

"Wh-what?" Tamakazura the second turned around: "Do you know this guy, Tama—"

"Don't move!"

The man violently clutched the other side of her head and, with increased vigour, sandwiched Tamakazura's head between his clutching hand and the black hole of his gun barrel.

"Ah…ah…"

Her hair messed up, Tamakazura the second's eyes began to water, and turned her gaze towards her future self as much as possible without moving.

Tamakazura the first continued to work on her contraption with no sign that she's heard anything; but in a flash, she fired two shots from her own gun at the man without even turning, and the man did not seem to foresee the speed of the bullets; shocked, he was forced to turn his gun and fire two shots as well to deflect the oncoming hazards, in a moment freeing Tamakazura the second from his range—and the girl immediately pushed him back as the four bullets collided en route, shooting off sparks that lit the room like lightning, before barrel-rolling back to the side of Tamakazura the first. Panting and gasping as she crouched, she stared at the unexpected visitor, who was dressed in a long white silk gown with a black gauze cap. Though he stumbled a little, he quickly recovered and locked his gun at the two women again, and Tamakazura the second opened her eyes wide in shock.

"Y-you're one of the men f-from my time!"

The man chuckled effeminately, as usual; but now in the view of the flames in darkness, it was clear his hollow eyes did not laugh with his lips, and his laughter was as cold as the blackness of his gun barrel.

"Indeed. Good to see you again, Lady Tamakazura. I've…been so happy for you ever since you settled down and married General Higekuro. Must've been pleasurable managing such a noble household."

Not changing the direction of her gun either, Tamakazura stopped the motions of her tools and slowly got up to face the twisted man. "…Naturally, we are…honoured to be bestowed with the august presence of Your Retired Majesty." She cocked her gun. "But do you not think it unbefitting for you to come into this wretched place of _commoners_?"

"Ah…is this how you talk to a retired old man? I, Suzaku? I once was, after all, Emperor of Japan. And what's more—" Suzaku jumped so quickly that he attracted several missed fires from Tamakazura's gun— "I am your master! The superior time traveller! The one who taught you all the arts of _time manipulation_ …"

Tamakazura's firing line followed the movement of her teacher, and the flames behind her blazed in the wind of such agile movements; but her offence was generally pale and predictable. Suzaku dodged them all with ease and, between a longer gap between the shots, scraped Tamakazura's hand with one of his own, knocking her gun backwards with a final blast.

Tamakazura uttered a low cry before clutching her own bleeding hand. "Tch…! You…!"

Suzaku landed with subdued motion like the shadow of a ghost. He smiled and put his gun back in his sleeve. Tamakazura the second gaped like an idiot, and covered her mouth as he smiled a devilish smile.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to come and pick a fight, but I know that unless I did this, I probably won't have your attention, will I?"

Tamakazura the first still knitted her eyebrows in both pain and annoyance. "Well, now that you have it, what do you want?"

"Impatient as always?" Suzaku dusted his robes delicately, in full bastardly glory. "No wonder you never think about the consequences of your time travelling. Have you been using too much catalysts again in the fuel? Do you not realize that you ripped open a small rift between the human world and the demonic realm?"

"Wh-what?!" Tamakazura shot up, forgetting her pain for a second. "I-I didn't know…! There…there weren't too many that came through, were there? How many demons are now in here? …I have to go and see it!"

" _Wait!_ "

Suzaku, once again, pointed his gun at Tamakazura's forehead, and her past self grabbed her legs almost immediately after. "No, wait, Tamakazura! This guy's trying to trick you!"

The retired emperor's vision switched to Tamakazura the second. "Oh? I didn't know you have a twin sister? Or is this… _you_ , from another space and time? Yes, indeed, you are too hasty in your preparations. So hasty, that you collided with another universe."

Tamakazura the second trembled in fear at the emperor's icy gaze. The first backed up a step, and said in a quieter but equally fiery tone: "Perhaps you're right. I am being hasty. Did the _monks_ in this world take care of it already?"

Suzaku began to withdraw the gun, till it was behind his ear: "In a way, yes. But you have a lot more to learn. In this world, indeed, they are called _devil hunters._ A young devil hunter I just saw on the way…TOOK CARE of the situation."

Tamakazura breathed a sigh of relief, then raised her lids again. "Then, _sensei_ , what are you doing here?"

The man tilted his head to one side, in an eerie fashion, and began to speak slowly. "I came here in this world to fulfill my task—what I do to earn a living. However, my soul is drowned in tears, all my _sins_ and _sorrows_ I accumulated during my time as reigning emperor. I wish to hurt, to destroy, in order to _quench_ my insatiable wrath…!"

Tamakazura the second squealed, and shrivelled backwards; the flames behind them seem to burn with a quieter aggression than before.

"I have a duty in this world, Tamakazura, but I know you, too, are looking for your duty—your purpose—in the other one. Though we are still teacher and pupil, fate has brought us together in this world once again. Then…I have nothing to warn you. I know what drives you, I know what brought you to me that night of storm. A woman of low rank…falls in love with the son of the highly renowned Saidaijin in the court of my father, becomes impregnated, and bears a little girl, who is then raised up in the country side—"

The air was so tense that Tamakazura the first's clenched jaws and tightening fists seem to make small, noticeable cracking in her crescendoing anger.

" _You_ …you did not come here to tell me this…"

Suzaku curved a smile. "I have been travelling in the time stream to know that _fate cannot be changed_ , young woman. I told you on the first night we met and I am telling you again—"

"Bullshit!" Tamakazura lost all sense and, despite the warning cries of her past self, drew her katana and sprinted up to the wretched man in white gown. Suzaku did not move, and as Tamakazura drew back her arm to skew him, grabbed her katana with his bare fist. Blood oozed from the gaps of his fingers, but as easily as he waved back a gadfly, he sent Tamakazura flying backwards by the force of her own sword, and her head hit the empty furnace with a sickening crunch.

"Urrghh—!"

Tamakazura the second, despite her numbing legs, ran towards her future self. "H-hey! Tamakazura! Are you okay? P-please tell me you're okay!" She threw a glance towards the unmoving Suzaku over her shoulder, eyes widened in pure fright.

Suzaku tilted his head back again, and smiled. "But I will tell you this," he said, to the defiant but wounded Tamakazura. "You have committed another _sin_ , young Tamakazura. So reckless you are. Were you not aware…well, of course, I can't blame you…that Prince Niou's wife's sister was coming into Uji?"

Once again, Tamakazura forgot about the pain that pulsated through her at the moment, except the dread that swallowed it this time was far, far worse. "L…Lady Ukifune…? Sh-she was…coming to…Uji…? She got caught, then…? In my time vortex? Don't tell me she—"

Too horrified to speak, Tamakazura trailed off into silence. Suzaku shook his head sadly.

"Wh…where is she…? Where is Lady Ukifune…?"

Suzaku raised her hand. "You're lucky the young devil hunter was there to save her in time. I believe he has taken her somewhere—to his lodge, perhaps?"

"Wh- _what_?! In the presence of a man…?!"

"Well, isn't that better than being eaten or spirited away by one of those…Unnamables?"

"I-I suppose…but…! I can accept that, but she'll be ashamed when she…oh, how can I explain this to her mother?!"

Ignoring the mixture of sentiments going through Tamakazura's head at the guilt of involving one of her own, Suzaku calmly replied, "If you wish to attempt to change fate, seek the young devil hunter who put an end to the atrocities you committed. And then, perhaps…you can make peace with the spirits of the Buddhas again. I don't wish you to follow down my path."

And the shaking anger returned to sweep over her at his calm words; Tamakazura forced her body to sit up and, crouching over the ground, spat at Suzaku's feet.

A high pitched maniacal laughter that was ten times as shrill as the effeminate laughter the retired emperor has wielded before sounded throughout the room. Tamakazura the second winced, covering her ears, and both of them watched Suzaku exit the room, laughing, lighter than the shadow of a ghost.

 _Author's Notes: It's pretty slow this crap. Even though I like slow tales. It's so delicious to read each chapter that precedes the next one knowing what disaster is in store. Although I have a feeling I'm going to fail at NTR…but let's see how badly I get burned during my crash._

 _I'M JUST PRETENDING I DON'T HAVE EXAMS RIGHT NOW_


	6. Cutscene 6: Of Mud and Misery

_A few minutes ago…_

When Ukifune awoke, she knew not when she slipped in and out of subconsciousness. All she heard was…terrible noises outside her carriage, that made her wonder if she was still in dream. But strength flowed back into her, ebb by ebb, and she gradually felt the concreteness of reality once more.

The sounds outside became more and more frightening with each second, as if they were etched, slowly, deeper and deeper unto her mind. Her head, thus, ironically, became dizzy as it became clearer.

"Ukon…?"

She called for her handmaiden, and an icy chill struck her heart when she suddenly saw a figure, hideous and treacherous as the apparitions told in midwives' tales, its body half leaned into the carriage, chewing on the head of what seems to be a still twitching Ukon.

"Ah…!"

She let out a small cry; the monster stopped chewing, and looked up in alertness, moving Ukon's body up along with its mouth.

Ukifune covered her own. The monster shook, seemingly excited by more live food, then without a warning dived forward for her body.

"AHH—!"

She screamed as its gross limbs stretched easily across her torso and coiled her in its grasp. The slimy coolness of its flesh poisoned her clothes, leaking onto her skin, and Ukifune remembered all the tales she heard as a child, of women spirited away by demons to…other worlds. She struggled somewhat in vain and watched, in horror, as the monster slowly opened its mouth, revealing a redness of which she knew not was its natural colour or the bloodstains mixed with saliva from Ukon's indistinguishable leftovers.

The demon brought her closer, and in its movements, the carriage swayed and creaked, shaking the bodies of women under her.

"A-Ah…Ah…! Ukon…"

Ukon was still twitching, but undeniably no longer alive. It seems that her mistress was about to join her now, and the tightening lock Ukifune felt around her chest was squirming ever more madly with excitement against her.

"Ukon…Ukon…!"

The monster was, no doubt, about to swallow this delicious human female alive. And suddenly, Ukifune remembered, at the most inconvenient of times—a little girl, playing with dolls, lonelily by the cherry blossom tree outside her window—knowing, just knowing, that her half-brothers and sisters will never come into this room and play with her the same way that other children got to do; Ukon was twisting threads by her side, and once in while, glanced up in pity.

 _"Ukon, why won't they come? Why won't they come to play with me?"_

 _"Mistress…" Ukon never ceased the thread twisting, but her hand, which was so nimble and crafty before, now gave a tremble._

 _"It is because you are special."_

 _"…Do you really think so?"_

"URRRRrrrrkkk…U…U…Uk-kon…"

The monster was squeezing her so tightly that her eyeballs, rolling upwards, felt like they were about to be squeezed out of their sockets—like it was also squeezing her very life out of her; but the horror of Ukon's remains heaped upon the monster's wagging tongue continue to burn into the back of Ukifune's diminishing sanity.

"A—ah…!"

Outside the carriage, there was a part of the street filled with surprisingly cold silence.

A gust of wind sweeps past the rooftop; and then, a man, clad in blue robes, begins to step forth. From the rims of the roofs he watches Ukifune's cornered carriage shake in cold objectivity from above. There is huge carnage a few metres away from his location centred on the red robed devil hunter; although he made no sign of heading there to join him, his thumb twitched under the hilt of his companion blade.

"Hehehe…"

A strange figure had appeared suddenly behind the man in blue robes; and, as he laughed quietly, he did not even hear the sound of a sword unsheathing ere the man's blade was already pointing to his throat.

The laughing ran dry for a brief moment, then the stranger smiled again, despite the cold glint of this lethal weapon near his arteries. "Impressive. Truly, you are a master of your art."

That stranger took a step back and bowed deeply. As he moved out from the shadow of the brick buildings, it became clear that he was a very odd person, wearing a long white silk gown and a black gauze cap, which was longer than his torso; a fine example of anachronism.

Though, sensing that however peculiar the strange's attire seemed, that he was by no means a demon, the blue robed man's vision blinked back to that misshapen carriage. That demon has already dragged the woman half out from the carriage, kicking and screaming infuriatingly. Her helplessness contrasted strongly with the stranger behind him, who quite effeminately used his long silk sleeves to cover his chuckling mouth.

"Weak, is she not…? As all humans ought—that is their gift, and their misfortune. Always so subpar, succumbing to more powerful and malicious forces, unwittingly, bearing themselves naked against fate—"

In a flash the sword tip pressed against the blabbering stranger's bobbing Adam's apple, left somewhat out in the open by his revealing collar.

"Who sent you here?"

The voice might've sounded young and tender had not the words been worded so sharply, and concisely.

"Ah…! Figured that out already, have you…? Clever, clever, I must applaud you…but first, let us say this: _humans are not as weak as you presume, Son of Sparda_."

The robed man showed no expression at this revelation, but merely, once again, turned his gaze back to the carriage. The demon nearly tore the woman from the opening, and her face was pale as the moon above, drained of all colours, her expression utterly repulsive—an expression of near-death. _Weakness_.

"U…u…u…urrr…g…g…h…"

The demon suddenly stopped; seeming to think the woman's many layers of clothes would not digest properly inside it if it swallowed them along with her flesh, he drew out a limb, having many small spikes on it like a crab's—which was also sharp on the tip like a well-forged knife—and sliced through the woman's upper garment. This move cut sharply into her soft, white skin, drawing out blood in the newly-cut gash on her chest.

"UUUWAAAAAHHHHH!"

Ukifune screamed with agony, but it was not so much for the pain that she projected her scream, but because in that moment, the beast's grip on her constrained body was loosened, and she breathed new air again. Suddenly she bent over her head, her hair brushing over its limbs, and with all the might a fragile girl could muster, she bit into the demon's body.

In all honesty this was a foolish move from every angle, but by pure chance this demon had no tough hide like some of its other kind—indeed, its skin was so soft that sharp human teeth could penetrate well into the nerves. Thus, as Ukifune sent the demon screaming, the demon's grip on her loosened even more—and she finally struggled free, tumulting back into her carriage with a bang. The man in robes still watched from above with no gesture of interference. It was then the effeminate stranger moved forward triumphantly: "See, there is strength in her!"

The demon suffered no severe damage as a result of the bite, but it was infuriated at its wound, spewing with black blood; and Ukifune within the carriage was panting as she struggled to get up from her crouching position. Half of her face was smothered in the same fresh, black, demonic blood, dripping from her lips and chin to mingle with the blood spilled all over the gash on her exposed chest.

Then, the demon morphed itself into a greater and more frightening shape than before, with glowing eyes suddenly visible over every inch of his body. It gurgled some terrible words—words, perhaps, from the demonic realm, and Ukifune, though strength flowed back through her body once more, breathed heavily, and thought that she was dead for certain. Now, perhaps, she had realized there was no chance that a human woman could win in a battle against this terrifying creature bare-handedly, and she smiled a little, sadly, ere she closed her eyes, in preparation for death. The demon gave a great muffled cry, and—

 _splat._

Ukifune, who had expected the ending of her life, felt nothing; merely a gust of cool, refreshing wind that brushed aside the hideous odour of the demon. She slowly opened her eyes again as some drops of demonic blood, which had fallen into her eyes, teared across the whites of her eyeballs—and saw the seemingly powerful demon screech, falling into dust before her. The world became quiet for a second, as she slowly raised her long, quivering lashes to see a man with a long blade in his hand behind the demon, whose robes of blue were breezing slightly in the odious night wind.

A strong feeling, mixed with anguish, pulsed through her wound, and Ukifune lowered her eyes, breathing heavily for no reason; as the no longer threatening Unnamable disintegrated, she held her head and put her forehead against the floor of the carriage as if in great pain.

From her position she heard the sound of a sword sheathe, and a shadow passed over the carriage. The man was gone. Gone into the night.

"Just who sent you, stranger—?"

 _Author's Notes: Hmm, I think it'd be funny to spam at the end of each chapter at my own work. I have so much going through my head sometimes! Except at 4:00 in the morning. Which is now. Shit. Anyway I'll keep them short so my bantering doesn't interfere with the reading. Oh, yeah, and I'll also try to be funny._

 _Hmm…I'm not too informed on DMC in general, to be honest. I initially named it DmC: In Memory's Embrace, but I quickly changed it to DMC when I realized that DmC was the name of the reboot. Haha. Silly mistakes._


	7. Character list for who can't memorize

**-DMC-**

 **Dante:** A young, fresh devil hunter still unknown to the larger world, Dante is well known for his cocky, arrogant and casual manner when facing even the most dire of situations, earning him much style points and admiration. In his universe similar to our modern world, Dante tends to work alone fighting off demons. He does, however, have an emotionally vulnerable side, when it concerned his family—which shattered since the day a demon horde separated his mother and elder twin brother, Vergil; and he came to hate the demonic blood that flowed within him.

 **Vergil:** Resembling Dante greatly in looks, Vergil is completely the opposite of Dante, fully embracing the dark side and has a cold, passive demeanour. At some point in their lives he and Dante were close, but ultimately due to their conflicting views after the demons killed their mother, he and Dante grew apart. Yet there is a nobleness within him as well, which though threatened by Vergil's afflictions with the Dark Side, nevertheless proved difficult to extinguish.

 **Patty Lowell:** A cute little girl with long curly blonde hair, who likes dressing in pink, and likes cleaning up/watching romantic movies, Patty remains close friends with Dante even after she moved away from him. Here she helps the shy Ukifune adjust to the new world and empathizes with the latter's plight.

 **Arkham:** The already sinister man not yet fully evolved into demon form yet is already plotting for great disruptions in the human realm. He sought after Sparda's sons for their blood and amulet, but it would not be a full three years later until he properly meets with Vergil. Here he works with Suzaku-In, a time travelling former emperor from Heian Japan, who helps Arkham find the sons of Sparda. Arkham's knowledge of the black arts allows him to provide Suzaku-In with powerful catalysts that are much better than typical time traveller's.

 **-Tale of Genij-**

 **Ukifune:** The last prominent female protagonist in the Tale of Genji, Ukifune is the daughter of an imperial prince and a maid servant. Depicted as quiet, shy and somewhat angsty, Ukifune seems slightly misfit in the tale and different from the other women, being of low birth (her mother is merely a servant), having no talents or accomplishments, and the only thing notable about her at first is her not incomparable beauty (faltering before her legitimate half-sister, Naka-no-gimi and the royal princesses). Nevertheless she is attributed the most poetic works in the whole novel of female characters, topping the chart with 26 waka poems, and bears an intelligence and grace beyond her birth position and years.

 **Tamakazura (the first):** Bearing some similarities with Ukifune in that both women are low-born, rather intelligent, and unwittingly entering into the lives of aristocrats above them, Tamakazura was raped forced into a marriage with an ugly dude, but found happiness in the end because it becomes apparent later that her other more handsome suitors are just trying to play her. Tamakazura has a friendly brother-sister relationship with Kaoru and becomes busy managing her children; here she is portrayed as a time traveller desperate to stop her father from abandoning her mother, and also a skilled _oni_ -hunter. She ends up becoming the pupil of Suzaku-In, after witnessing him perform marvellous feats with time manipulation, but her relationship with her teacher is less than warm.

 **Suzaku-In:** A former emperor and brother of Genji who becomes somewhat of a butt joke as he fails at being an emperor, lover, and father. Meek and submissive in life, Suzaku-In is sometimes identified as the vengeful spirit who drove Ukifune to suicide, revealing the man's malicious potential. Here he is also a time traveller, working together with Arkham to contact Vergil. But when he realized he cannot change his fate even through time travelling, hatred fuelled his heart further and nothing can stop him from destroying the innocent Ukifune to sate his wrath.

 **Tamakazura (the second):** While looking exactly like Tamakazura, this one is apparently from a parallel universe, who by mysterious turns of fate, ends up travelling together with her future self. Idiotic and voluptuous, she is almost completely the opposite of her other self, but nevertheless when provoked, shows unmatched deadliness in combat.

 **Kaoru:** A supposed descendent of Genji, Kaoru is a prosperous and handsome young man in the court of Heian Japan. Despite his youth and high position, Kaoru is cold, melancholic and lives a life devoid of earthly attachments—until he meets Oigimi, daughter of a faltering imperial prince. After Oigimi's death (sometimes attributed to the vengeful spirit of Suzaku) he then sought for Ukifune after he sees dat ass realizes her resemblance to his past love.

 **Chujo-no-gimi:** Once a maidservant of the imperial prince Hachinomiya, she bears him a daughter, which led to her becoming ostracized by him. Sad and broken, Chujo-no-gimi marries a brash and uncouth governor of Hitachi, but as her daughter grows daily more beautiful, she tries to make her Kaoru's consort in the hopes of her happiness.

 **Oigimi:** Eldest daughter of Hachinomiya, she possesses an air of grace, but also suffers from fragile health. She is the object of Kaoru's affections, but refuses to marry him, and dies untimely.

 **Naka-no-gimi:** Youngest daughter of Hachinomiya, she marries Prince Niou under the direction of Kaoru, who wishes to use this gesture to show his affection to Oigimi. Naka-no-gimi tries to arrange Kaoru to be with her sister Ukifune to drive off his unwanted affections.

 **Ukon:** Ukifune's most trusted maidservant who helps her conceal her affair with Prince Niou from Kaoru, her accepted lover. Ironically here, Ukon is the first to die, shortly before her mistress.

 **Prince Niou:** An unseen character in this tale, Prince Niou serves as a rival to Kaoru in everything, including women. Surpassing Kaoru in looks, he is subpar in temperament, disposition and taste, and is especially envious of Kaoru's natural fragrance. He is husband of Naka-no-gimi.


End file.
